Annual General Meeting

CycleCycle 20002000 NewsletterNewsletter 20112011

A WARM WELCOME to the 2011 newsletter Membership and subs and a big thank you to all contributors. For more information about Cycle 2000 see our LEAFLET and We now have 33 members (we had 37) in 2010. our new WEBSITE http://cycle2000.btck.co.uk/ Membership subs for 2012 (£5) are now due so the treasurer John Bradbury will be pleased to see you. Annual General Meeting The income from membership pays for affiliation to The AGM was held in November 2012 in the splendid the CTC so that the club has public liability insurance community meeting room at the new Newcastle fire and also for publicity including this newsletter and the station. We even saw a fire engine go out on a leaflets. It was agreed at the 2011 AGM that we “shout”. At the AGM the following committee should affiliate to CycleNation who are a national members were elected: “umbrella group” to which many local cycle campaign groups belong. Chair – Geoff Cartlidge (tel 626346) Secretary - Mike Howard (tel 626693) Rides Treasurer/ membership - John Bradbury (tel 860259) Very many thanks to the leaders of all the rides and Social secretary – John Lees (tel 502614) also the marshals on the leisurely rides. Council liaison – Mike Barr, Mike Howard, Arthur Rawlingson The “long” rides (on the first Sunday of the month) “Long” rides organiser – Geoff Cartlidge have usually attracted 10-20 riders. “Medium” rides organiser – Mike Howard The “medium” rides (on the first Sunday of the month “Leisurely” rides organiser– Mike Barr (tel from April to September) suffered a major setback 616243) when the rides organiser and leader of most of the Change of name for Cycle2000? rides, Arthur Rawlingson, was diagnosed with Leukaemia. Leaders were found but the rides have At the 2011 AGM the question was averaged 5 riders or fewer. It is good to see that raised whether “Cycle 2000” is still Arthur is now back on his bike, however his health is an appropriate name for our group. likely to restrict him to shorter outings such as the It seemed a good idea in the last Leisurely rides and Mike Howard has now stepped in century (1994) when the group as “Medium” rides organiser. started. However perhaps now the name sounds like a national The “leisurely” rides (on the third Sunday of the organisation whereas we are month from March to October) have attracted fewer actually a local group of cyclists in riders (average 20) than in 2010 (average 29) and North Staffordshire. have seen fewer families and children than in previous years. The reasons for this are unclear. What do you think about this? Should “North Staffs” be in our name? What should be added to that e.g. Perhaps the council “leisurely ride route” leaflets have North Staffs Cycling? enabled people to explore the routes independently and/or perhaps different publicity is needed.

1 Leisurely ride – April 2011

Details of the “long” and “medium” rides for 2012 are in our leaflet and on our website. Dates for the Madrid and the mountains 2011 – “leisurely” rides for 2012 have still to be finalised but are likely to be similar to 2011 (normally third Sunday Geoff Cartlidge of the month from March to October but with some Wednesday the 7th of September found the 4 of us – extra rides) The rides programme will be finalised and Geoff Bowler, Andy Capper, Rob Drakeford and myself put on the Cycle 2000 website by spring 2012. In past – heading for Liverpool airport to catch the plane to years Stoke Council have produced leaflets publicising Madrid (Easyjet of course). Booking in and the flight the rides and also advertised them on the CycleStoke went well until we were stacked over the airport for ½ website. However the CycleStoke 3 year programme hour, then followed an even longer wait at passport has ended and the proposed cutbacks at Stoke Council control, I think everybody was entering Spain at the make it uncertain as to what publicity they can give in same time. The next stage was “hunt the hotel” future. reportedly 1.4 km from the airport. Geoff and I managed 8 miles on bikes while the other used a taxi. Future of Social Meetings I think the distance was based on crows flying to the airport. In 2011 the venue for our monthly pub meetings was changed to the Arnold Machin PH – Wetherspoons - in Next morning found us eating an excellent breakfast Newcastle and the day changed to the first with yesterday’s fun left behind. We went on a Wednesday of the month in order to link with the lengthy detour to avoid going through the city and “wayfarers” element of Cycle 2000 who already meet eventually found ourselves on the right road with there. However this change of venue and day has not attracted any interest from new people.

In consequence the AGM agreed that we should cease to try to hold Cycle 2000 pub meetings and instead our publicity should ask the public to contact the committee members about the rides and cycle campaigning and the wayfarers pub meetings. There will still be an AGM and also an annual dinner. There was a good turnout (30 people) at our last annual dinner in 2010 at the Holly Bush at Brown Edge. In addition the possibility of other meetings, including possibly a public meeting with a speaker, may be arranged if there is sufficient interest. more luck than judgement. When we arrived at the decided destination there was no accommodation so we had to travel a further 6 miles to another village, 2

Cycle 2000 ride – September 2010 Leaving Arenas the next morning on a relatively quiet road compared to the previous night. Another hot day on minor roads followed including an unnamed 6 mile climb to the top of a pass and then a drop to the not very interesting industrial town of Talavera de la Reina. Again we had a bit of trouble finding digs but settled for a very empty hostel in the middle of the town.

Today we are to travel along a mainly flat road to the old walled city of Toledo famous for its swords. It would have been an easy ride of 50 miles if it had not Segovia’s amazing roman aqueduct been so hot (We’re never happy with the weather). Toledo is a great city with many old squares and little Miraflores, this proved to be a better choice in the streets but full of tourists, but still worth a visit end. Again a good hotel was found providing another good breakfast.

Then the real tour was about to begin. We were to climb 3 passes all over 1800 metres. We were surprised by the number of cyclists on the road, this being a Friday. We soon found out why, it was a public holiday but only in the Madrid area. We were very pleased to fin the road between the 2nd and 3rd summits turned out to be a 4 mile flat run followed by a long drop to Segovia, a lovely old walled city with a huge Roman aqueduct at its main entrance (clever people these Romans)

Leaving Segovia proved easier than expected and we were soon on the right road. Today was going to a be Today was to be our last day cycling in Spain and a long hot day with 2 passes over 1500 m. Arriving in proved to be the longest at over 70 miles back to our San Martin we found we were in the middle of a hotel in Madrid avoiding as many main roads as fiesta, bull fighting and street market. We were very possible. The evening was spent wandering the many lucky to find accommodation which we did in a nice squares in the centre of Madrid including some clean hostel away from all the noise. expensive tapas in the Plaza Mayor which luckily we had enjoyed well before the bill arrived or else it The following day we set off in the usual hot might have stuck in our throats. But despite the cost conditions heading west along some very pleasant it was a great experience. minor roads, stopping at a motor bike watering hole for a late breakfast/early lunch. Passing on and Our last day was spent packing our bikes and waiting getting even hotter like every other afternoon we at airports before travelling home. It had been an arrived at Arenas de San Pedro, finding the hotel excellent week without a drop of rain and well worth where we had stayed some years before. After we the travelling. had booked in we found we were in the middle of yet another fiesta. After we had eaten we were treated to the cabaret which involved a man wearing what appeared to be a modified dustbin in the shape of a bull covered with fireworks running up and down the main street. This was bad enough but then came the next stage which involved the youth of the town snatching the fireworks off its back and throwing them all over the place setting shop alarms off and having everybody running for cover. “A good time was had by all”

3 Antics,Antiquities & Athens 2011 - We arrived in Corfu just after midnight and cycled to our pre-booked hotel in Benitses with no problem. Malcolm Elvidge The next day we cycled across this very pleasant Springtime seems to bring out the adventure trait and island to the scenic Paleokastritsas with its boat trips the need to look at maps etc. to find a suitable to the grottoes, beaches and tourist coaches and also destination for our annual cycle tour. We (Mike Barr & the hilltop village of Gardelades. I) toyed with various locations including Morocco, but decided against the Arab uprisings and chose Greece. In the morning of Day 3 we moved to a hotel in Corfu It was to be a flight to Corfu, ferry to the mainland, Town near to the ferry port. A ‘Kathy Bates’ (‘Misery’) then an extended route to Athens by way of various of a proprietor let us leave our gear in the room while “antiquities”. we went off to explore further. We encountered a children’s’ bike ‘race’ in Corfu town. I thought Mike September 23rd and we were cycling to Manchester had stopped to recruit them for his family rides, but for our flight. This time, we were able to have a laugh no, it was only to take a photograph! We cycled up at the airport instead of the usual hassle. Having winding mountain roads in the north of the island checked in without any problems, we took the bikes dominated by the 900m Mount Pantokrator. Back to to the scanner but they were too big to pass through. Corfu Town and ‘Kathy Bates’ starring as Delores The chap on the machine rang for the hand held Clayburn! I locked our door at night. She wasn’t going version and everything was ok. The really fun bit was to break my ankles with wooden blocks and a mallet! when we were asked to carry the bikes to the departure gate! It seemed like a mile. Just before the Day 4 saw us up at 5.15am to catch the daily ferry to gate there was a man whom I had seen earlier. He the mainland. What a stupid time. Don’t they know we’re on holiday? We saw the ferry for Igoumenitsa Paleokastritas,looked Corfuat us carrying the bikes and smiled. I told him that we had also been asked to fly the plane! He arrive and we joined the car queue and stowed the laughed. bikes on board. However, on trying to go on deck, the ticket lady told us our tickets were for a different ferry

4 Bridge from Antirion to Patras company! The right ferry was due to leave from the other side of the Port (about 1 mile away) in 5 minutes time! In a blind panic we belted round the Port and got to the right ferry with about 1 minute to spare. We docked in Igoumenitsa on mainland Greece and it was a fast flat coastal road to Preveza (63 miles), the only problem being was that after such an early start I didn’t really wake up until about 1pm! My gear cable broke but didn’t really slow us up. In Preveza we found an apartment (“Domatia”) for €30 and cycled the short distance to town to eat. To top a tiring day, I had a puncture and we had to walk our bikes back.

On Day 5 renewing the broken cable was straight forward, luckily I had brought a spare with me, but fixing the puncture took ages. Eventually we set off southwards to cross under the mouth of the Gulf of Amvrakikos. On approach to the river tunnel, we saw ‘No Cycling’. We ignored this, but traffic lights changed to red straight away. I thought we were being watched and sure enough, a pick-up truck duly arrived. The tunnel patrol! It’s the first time that Bridge over Gulf of Patras we’ve been taken through a tunnel with the bikes on the back of a truck. We had some spectacular views for some while to a cyclist from Latvia. He was touring cycling on the coast road later, passing the islands of Greece and was quite chatty. Our ride for the day was Kefalonia and Zakinthos. We arrived ok in Astakos, 66 miles and we booked a hotel quite easily. where Mike found one of his ‘little shortcuts’. We carried the bikes down three million steps to the On Day 8 we were up early and spent the morning ‘normal road’ which we could have cycled down. 59 visiting the site of the early Olympic Games along with miles for the day and we managed to negotiate a coachloads of other tourists. This turned out to be a hotel room for €35, down from €50. Astakos has a ‘must see’ for this area- absolutely fascinating! The picturesque promenade and an equally picturesque hills started immediately out of the ’City’ and bay and is well worth a visit. continued all afternoon. At 5pm, having done 38 miles, we arrived at the highest place in the world – Day 6 and we left Astakos with a mountainous start, Andritsaina and decided to stop because we were but a great view of the bay. We cycled on, having such a long way from the next town. We struggled to lunch in Messolongi and then to a fantastic 2 mile long find accommodation here and had to pay €50 for a engineering marvel of a bridge from Antirion to Patras hotel room. We had a few beers in a bar in the village acroos the Gulf of Patras. I was amazed to find the and then laughed like funfair clowns as we were cost of driving over this multi million Euro bridge. I beckoned in to a back street “restaurant” by a couple thought a couple of quid, but no. The charge for cars- of elderly ladies. It’s the only restaurant I’ve been €13! One hell of an expensive way to get to Patra. We where there’s no menu, you eat in someone’s kitchen cycled over for free, but were disappointed to find and watch the meal being cooked by two old biddies that having spent all that money on a fantastic who don’t speak any English! The result was that we construction, we had to carry the bikes down loads of had an excellent and enormous and very expensive metal steps at the other end. We found a room at €30 meal but the whole experience was well worth the near to the port in Patra and had drinks in a bar and cost. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world! We then to a restaurant at night. returned to the previous bar afterwards, our guffaw echoing down the road. On Day 7 we found that getting out of Patra was not easy. I’m afraid the direction signs were all Greek to On Day 9 we sped downhill for miles from the height me. They don’t even use letters, you know! Our (1,000m) of Andritsaina to Megalopoli. We hoped to destination for the day was Ancient Olympia, one of catch a train to Tripoli, to make up for time lost our antiquity sights. On the road to here, we talked yesterday. We found the station, which looked like something out of the Wild West with rusty lines and 5 an infestation of weeds. This line hadn’t seen a train for years. Thinking laterally we went to the bus station. Amazingly, we boarded a bus to Tripoli with the bikes in the luggage hold. Arriving in Tripoli, we liked this ‘coaching’ and boarded another bus, without any problem, to Nafplio. We found a room with the help of Tourist Information. Nafplio, one time capital of Greece, is a very popular picturesque historic town, with a fortress and harbour front. We dined in a good restaurant in the pedestrian area and had a walk, exploring the town, or is it city?

Day 10 and we were making for another ancient site, Corinth, about 50 miles away. We stopped off in Argos to have a look at a well preserved open air theatre. Please don’t tell anyone that I’ve been to Argos on a Sunday! Next was the site of the ancient hilltop city of Mycenae dating back 2,000 years BC. We arrived early enough in Corinth to have a wander around the extensive ruins of Ancient Corinth, before finding a room at the Hotel Acropolis. The hotel was near the port and centre of modern Corinth and handy for finding places to drink, eat and watch English football The Corinth canal on TV. ancient Agora and other sites were taken in before Leaving Corinth the following morning, Mike managed having drinks and a meal in the lively Monasteraki to find a dirt track which took us over the Corinth district. This was the day when Mike received a text Canal via a pipe bridge. The bridge crossing was from Easyjet saying that our flight on the following prohibited, but we crossed anyway. We stood on this day had been cancelled due to a Greek national bridge looking both ways along the Canal. What a transport strike fantastic view, with the turquoise water and sheer rock cliffs and large ships navigating this narrow On Day 13 we were lucky because the only transport stretch. working was the bus to the airport so we loaded the From here, we cycled on to Loutraki and ice creams bikes on the airport bendy bus ‘to see was Easy jet on the promenade and then eastwards with fine views had to say’. We queued at the Easy jet desk in the over the gulf before catching a train from Megara to deserted airport, only to hear people being offered Athens. I recommend our excellent prebooked Hotel alternative flights with 3, 4 and even 7 days delay. Vienna but it was in an area near Omonoia Square Amazingly, we were offered a flight 2 days later and a where it is best to keep to the main streets. lot of people were asking how we had got it. We still don’t know. Easy jet even gave us free transfer with bikes to a 4* coastal hotel, the Mare Nostrum. The accommodation and meals were free except for token sum of €5 for the evening meal. Couldn’t fault Easy jet on this one!

During our bonus 2 days we explored the local coast and hills comprehensively by bike. The flight home on 7 October was uneventful, and we cycled back from Manchester before the parting of the ways in Kidsgrove .

With regard to Greece, I had cycled 720 miles and the Ancient Corinth trip was a fantastic delve into history. The people were friendly and accommodation was cheap. Eating Day 12 was open for sightseeing in Athens. The out with drinks was not so cheap, however. The one Acropolis and the amazing Parthenon museum, the thing that took the beauty from the country was litter. 6 Most roadsides were strewn with plastic bottles and Tuesday, two more riders join us, Sarah (25) who rides all manner of rubbish! Whether this was due to the for Squadra Donne and Tony. We stop at Muro before striking Greeks I don’t know. To anyone thinking of riding on through Binnissalem and Selva. The pace for touring in Greece, my advice would also be to have the first half of the ride is very high, settling down a some understanding of the Greek alphabet! bit for the second half. We arrive back at Peurto Majorca – Andy Capper With a week off work in October and the probability of poor weather, I decided to look into going abroad to do a little cycling in a warmer, more favourable climate. After a bit of browsing I decided to go to Majorca on an end of season ‘cycling camp’, advertised as ‘ an opportunity to wind down on some well surfaced, quiet roads’. The organiser, Stuart Hall, assured me that although most of the people attending were racing, this was not a training camp, just a chance to get some miles in, plenty of café stops and a few beers at night - perfect!!

Arriving at the Pollensa Park Hotel, Peurto Pollensa at Pollensa and a few of us ride to the seafront, chilling 10.30pm Saturday meant a quick snack and drink with tapas and a beer - heaven! before retiring to my room and getting some sleep ready for the first days riding. Wednesday, this is the day I’m looking forward to. Today we go into the mountains! We head out to After collecting my hire bike from the shop I made my Campanet, pass through Selva before stopping at way back to the hotel where everyone would be Lloseta for lunch. We climb the Orient before meeting. As people congregate with their bikes there dropping down to Bunyola, climbing Soller, Puig Major are a few introductions and we’re off. There are seven and Lluc. Some great switchback climbs with nice of us riding today with more due to join us throughout gradients, the reward, fantastic descents. A hard day! the week, the age of the group is between 30 and 80! Tonight we go to ‘Tolos’ bar for a few beers. (Bill Graham from Anfield CC). Today would be a steady ride heading out to Santa Maria, around 60 Thursday was a steady day before returning to the miles but with a couple of café stops and a chance to mountains on Friday, climbing Valdemossa and Soller. become acquainted. Reaching our destination we sit outside the café, relaxing in the sun with a couple of The last day was a harder than expected bumpy ride coffees and a baguette. The weather is fantastic, not a taking in some coastal roads through Alcudia before cloud in the sky. Heading back, we have another stop, stopping at Petra for ‘café con leche’ this time it’s a ‘fanta stop’ but as before, it’s a chance to sit and relax in the sun. Back at the hotel we have a A good weeks riding, 518 miles, Majorca is a great quick beer before going to get ready for the evening place to ride with perfect weather. I’m going back in meal. March 2012 for more!

Monday, today we are joined by three more, Pete from Newport CC, Mark from Solihull CC and Bernie, a girl who normally does massage for the riders during the autumn training camps. The pace today is noticeably higher, Stuart reminding people that it’s a ‘cycling camp’ but to no avail. We head for Felanitx where we have dinner. Dinner over and we climb on our bikes, only to realise that I’ve got a puncture, at least it’s sunny as everyone waits for the thorn to be removed and the repair undertaken. On the ride back to the hotel the pace and the mileage are starting to tell on one or two of the group, it ends up being 87 miles. Relaxing in Pollensa

7 Local Cycle news – Mike Barr opportunity for Cycle 2000 members to have a limited form of CTC membership at a cheap rate. Cycle training CycleNation, formerly the CCN (Cycle Campaign It is good to see that there will continue to be money Network), is a national group to which many local for cycle training in schools nationally under the cycle campaign groups belong and is a useful source “Bikeability” scheme till 2015. In Stoke some money of information and helps local cycle groups and other has been found to extend the Sustrans BikeIT scheme organisations connect with each other. Jointly with in some schools to August 2012. CTC it aims for a cycle pressure group in every town.

Cycle schemes Sustrans is the pioneering national sustainable transport charity behind the national cycle network The last 3 years has seen a real boost to local cycling and other projects like “safe routes to school”, from the £5M “CycleStoke” initiative. However this “Connect2” and “active travel”. It has local “volunteer ended on 31 March 2011 and in the short term there rangers” who help maintain and promote the national probably won’t local council money to spend on cycle network and help with other local projects. cycling. In 2011/12 Stoke has allocated only £60K for cycle schemes from LTP (Local Transport Plan) funds. Cycle2000 “campaign” aims The government has set up a “local sustainable (see http://cycle2000.btck.co.uk/) transport fund” (LSTF) but councils locally have been unsuccessful in bids for 2011/12. Stoke is hopeful The proportion of journeys made by bike locally is still that its £5M LSTF bid for 2012/13 (it includes money very low and in 2001 it was less than 2%. However it for cycling) will be successful. has been increasing with an estimated 40% increase locally over the last 3 years. Cycling plans and policies There are a lot of local short journeys now made by New Local Transport Plans (LTPs) for Stoke and for car that could reasonably be made by bike and the Staffordshire that look forward 15 years (i.e. 2011- prospects for more cycling in the future look 2026) have been approved (see the councils’ promising, given rising car fuel costs, higher bus fares websites). Both LTPs recognise the potential for the and greater public interest in cycling. many short journeys now made by car (over 50% in Stoke are less than 3 miles) to switch to walking and With the right support, local cycling could increase to cycling. However it seems unlikely that much funding 5% in the short term and even 10% in the longer term. will be allocated for this. You can have your say on The measures that have been effective in boosting this when the 3 year (2011-14) transport investment cycling are well known and include: plans come out for consultation in the near future.  safer, convenient and more attractive cycle National cycle campaigning routes  slower less aggressive traffic CTC (Cyclists’ Touring Club) is the main national  help for employers/colleges to encourage cycling organisation campaigning on behalf of their employees/students to cycle recreational and everyday cycling. It campaigns both  help for the public generally to cycle by at the national level and also at the local level via its information, rides, training and events. local “right to ride” representatives. It has obtained funding for local projects like “bikeclub” in schools, So how do you think Cycle2000 can to try to influence “workplace challenge” and “cycle champions”. Cycle local opinion and decision makers to support the 2000 is affiliated to the CTC and this provides public measures that will encourage more people to cycle? liability insurance for the ride organisers and also is an

YOUR HELP AND IDEAS ARE WANTED! Ride leader and ride routes wanted - contact ride organisers Ideas for publicising rides, cycle campaigning, slideshows, talks etc at future Cycle2000 meetings and contributions to the next newsletter – contact Mike Barr